Home Forums Fishing Freshwater Opinions on a Fishing Kayak?

Considering this for next spring. Am thinking 12-13' max length (pickup box transport), not over 50 lbs, and comfortable seating.. Think small bodies of water for bass, panfish, etc.

By experience what features would you recommend as original or as add ons later? Thanks.

George

I have a cheap Pelican 10' job. I added a milk crate and a soft closed cell foam pad to sit on. I plug any scupper holes I want plugged with indoor golf balls. A kayak cart from Amazon is worth every penny if you have to carry the boat any distance to the water.

Seriously consider pedal drive with reverse. It is really handy for fishing because it leaves your hands free. Hobie Cat was the original pedal drive. Heavy and very expensive. To reverse you have to pull a lanyard. I like the Perception Pescador Pilot. To reverse you just pedal in the opposite direction.

George, if you truly want to stay under 50 pounds, you're looking at either a very small kayak or an expensive one. Unless you are going to portage it, that weight limit is probably unnecessary. My Hobie Pro Angler 14 is 100 pounds empty, but I have very little trouble getting it atop my Toyota Highlander for transport. Sliding it in and out of a pickup bed would be easy-peasy in comparison. And a good trolley makes the trip from truck to water a simple thing.

Fishing kayaks are THE hot item right now. There are a gazillion new brands and models out there. Pelican is very good, for example. Some makes offer a "fishing" kayak that is little more than their regular model with one rod holder added. Others are very well thought out and designed for actual fishing. Shop around a bit for a year-end special and take the plunge. You'll love kayak fishing.

Rocky, there's nothing more confusing than having no experience and too many options. You're right, anything up to 75 lbs out of the back of a truck should not be a problem. Would you buy your Hobie PA 14 again or another model? I realize personal preference is highly individual but any suggestions would be highly appreciated. Thanks.

I'd buy a Hobie again in an instant. The new ones have that reversing option (mine doesn't) and they now come in 17, 14, 12, and now 10-ft lengths. The 10-footer is new this year and comes in at about half the price of the others. Here's just one of many YouTube reviews

I just watched the whole thing. He's a bit negative about it, but as the comments said, you soon get used to the fact that you are not going to tip if you reach down to lip a fish. I raised my Pro Angler seat 3" higher than factory to get better leg angle on the pedals, and I have no problem reaching down to below the water surface. I have never tipped mine.

It also appears that he got a very early Compass, with the old style pedal drive. Soon after that, the reversing drives became standard. (You can buy the drives separately to retrofit an older boat, too.)

Thanks very much for that..but would you warn against going too short, or..do you highly recommend pedal drive, and with reverse yet, or not so much? A lot of questions here -- not that I'm going to bring about world piece or prevent it with any decisions here on a kayak-fishing but still, as you get older you have more questions...😉

The larger the water you'll be fishing, the larger the kayak you'll want. Then there's the storage aspect, the weight of the angler plus gear, and how you'll load and unload it.

You have the last part of that answered and it isn't limiting. I'd opine a 10' for very small lakes and ponds, especially those you can't park next to. A 12" will handle most other waters, and is a great compromise. Mine only came in 14' when I bought it five or six years ago, and frankly it's too much boat to drag up any steep banks at small ponds. I really need a launching ramp or at least a gentle firm beach. Not so much for launch but for getting it back uphill to my vehicle.

Pedal drive itself is a godsend. You can troll and fish hands free, it's almost effortless to move, and it is extremely efficient. You are using larger muscles that were designed for travel, not your arms, which were made for casting and unhooking fish! The only place you wouldn't want it is in moving water with underwater obstacles.

Reverse is really handy if you nudge into a narrow boat slip to catch crappie underneath, or anywhere else you don't have room to make a U-turn. Or when setting an anchor off the bow, for that matter. I'm thinking about buying the upgrade and selling my old drive online. But haven't decided yet. It's not too difficult to just use the paddle for those few occasions.

I appreciate it; that's a lot of opinion based on real experience which I don't have. At some point you weary of buying and then, "I should have.....". Thanks Rocky.
I see Cabelas has a Garmin 12', $1400 package, for $899 but I don't know if I'm ready to pull the trigger yet with the holidays coming, etc.
How far is Ogden from SLC? I have a sister and BIL in Park City. If I get over that way, I might instigate 'campfire overt operation.

When I went looking for a fishing kayak, the important features were molded-in rod holders 10' or more length, 50 lbs. or less and a roomy cockpit. The Perception Islander America 11 footer fit the bill at the time. The pleasant surprise was the stability and ability to navigate some rough water. I looked at adding an aftermarket anchor system, but instead purchased a small anchor and some nylon rope.

Pretty much the same features I'm looking for -- light and handy. Must you count on getting wet in a low sitting position like that and how comfortable is that seat?

Sit-ins are nowhere near as comfortable as a sit-on, especially ones with lawn chair seats like mine.



George, I'm about an hour from Park City. Anytime you're in town, I'll take you to the Browning Museum and lunch.

Light and handy is my criteria, also. I slide the kayak in and out of the bed of the pickup with ease. I fish a lot of lakes in Wisconsin, Boundary Waters and Canada that don't have boat landings.that require portaging.

I have found and many agree with me that you can get wet more readily with sit-on kayaks. The greatest source of water is the drip from the paddles, but I solve by installing splash guards. Another advantage of a sit-in kayak is the low profile thus less wind resistance which is critical when faced with blustery winds and choppy seas. Water spray skirts are available but I can only remember a couple times that I thought I needed one.



Perception kayaks have a very comfortable seat.called Zone DLX seats that have contoured back rests that adjust up/down, forward/backward. The seat bottom tilts up/down. The seat back is shown in a previous picture and shown in the kayak below.

I bought this Perception 11' Rhythm this summer on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods for my wife which has the Zone DLX seat and she never complained.

I never get wet unless it rains. Except my feet during launch and landing, of course. And not always that, if I can step from boat to ramp. No paddle drip if you don't have to paddle.

I have two, but they ain't cheap. Nor are they particularly light, but at 62 I can put them into the 6' bed of a pickup and with the tail gate down, you get about 4' of overhang. There are hitch extenders that work well too. Check youtube for these models.

My two are the Native Watercraft Slayer Propel 13' which runs about $2500 but is about as good as a pedal drive gets...but requires periodic greasing and a few extra tools. It will give me 4mph of literally effortless cruising. If you can move your legs, you will get 4mph. You can go faster...but why? Forward and reverse. But with the pedal drive in place, it's nearly 90 pounds! The pedal drive weighs a good 20# but it is easily removable.

My other pedal drive is a Perception Pescador Pilot 12' which comes in at $1700. It's significantly less weighty and comes in about 80# with the drive in place. Where I live now, I put it on a cart and walk down a street and put it in a canal. 7 minutes from leaving the garage, I'm pedaling. It's not as fast, as I think the gearing is a bit higher and it takes a little tweaking to get everything working right, but it's comfy, and fishes very well. The molded in rod holders suck, but most of the rest of the features are well thought out.

The Hobie is a Cadillac and these are Toyotas. But they have reverse. If I had it to do all over again, I might not get the Slayer because of the weight and expense, but I love fishing from it!

I would suggest, if you want to go cheaper and don't need or want a pedal drive, you look at any number of good "Sit on top" fishing kayaks. The Field and Stream models are very top of the line in features, and not so darn expensive that they can't be bought.

Now, if you want a kayak to trailer that doubles as a boat...consider the Native Watercraft Titan! Just google it!

I don't like sit in kayaks for fishing, but love them for covering water and exploring tight places. Sit on tops are way more stable and a feature I often use, is on hot days, I'll sit sideways and put my feet in the water while I fish. It's relaxing, just letting the wind blow me down the shoreline while I fish.

Another thing. The main paddle is a pain in the rear for making slight position changes while fishing. I keep a little collapsable mini paddle in the cockpit for one hand position adjustments. One stroke is normally all you need and often, just an easy little push goes a long way.

Since I've been a kayak fisherman, my boat and canoe have been sold.

Good info all. It's a lot better to hear what works than to just look over models in a store or online.

One last suggestion: I bought mine from a Hobie dealer at a substantial discount because it was their in-store demonstrator. If you're going to buy in the Spring, consider going to a dealer at the tail end of Winter and ask if they have a 2017 demo unit.

Thanks gents. Much to consider on the way to low-key, peaceful angling.

Went through the same decision making this last spring. Knew I wanted to try it, but didn't know anything about kayaks. Ended up getting a 12' Field & Stream Talon sit on kayak at a Dicks Sporting Goods for a really good price, figured if I really loved it and used it a lot I could upgrade in a couple of years. Now I'm not sure I'm going to upgrade, it works just fine for what I use it for. Never tipped it, or really came that close to it. Caught a lot of fish out of it, up to 5lb largemouth - which is a blast! Scoots around my 50 acre lake amazingly well.

The only bad thing about the Talon is that the seat sucks if you're going to be on the water for a long time. No back support. But as you can see that was solved pretty easily by just finding a stadium seat I can slip under it. Far cheaper than buying a better "kayak seat". And the provided one works fine for a 2-4 hour fishing outing.

I'd much rather have a Hobie or a pedal of any type, just wasn't prepared to kick out that kind of money to start with.

I'm not a big fan of Dick's Sporting Goods, only buy stuff from them when they have screaming good sales. I think I got this in the spring for $450? Maybe $500. Weighs 68 pounds.

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/...5fnsufsgltlnstkypsk/15fnsufsgltlnstkypsk

I bought a 10' Lifetime Tamarack sit-on fishing model last spring. been quite happy with a $300 purchase. We mostly float rivers so pedals aren't really necessary. I do plan to upgrade the seat before next season.
Get one, you'll most likely love it! We hit the river most every weekend we were home all summer along with many weekday evenings.
FYI- weight ratings do matter....mine was discounted due to a guy initially purchasing it that was over the rating.

I bought a Diablo kayak. It's not light but it is extremely stable. It was made to stand up on and sight cast with a fly rod or to duck hunt from. I highly recommend it.

Been very pleased with my Malibu Stealth 12; very stable and really like the storage right between your legs.
Don't skimp on the seat and paddle.

Picked up a used Tarpon 12' with all the accoutrements this summer figuring if it wasn't my cup of tea I would be out very little.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it on several different bodies of water.
Looking forward to some early small water fishing next spring.

ol' fardt having fun on the water...

Kind of a warm water or weather thing ... but it’s fun